Hogwarts High Musical
by emeraldblossom34
Summary: From the moment they met at that fateful beach party, Lily and James have been a singing duo. How will they go through their junior year at Hogwarts High? As their friends try to keep them apart, they stay closer together, singing and showing everyone to step out and be who they are. Filled with HSM songs and all your favorite Marauder-era characters, here is Hogwarts High Musical!
1. The Start of Something New Here

Chapter 1: The Start of Something New Here

"Oh Alice! What if I don't _want _to go to that god-awful party? Huh?" Lily protested, watching Alice fret around her bedroom, trying to locate her sandals.

"Well Lily, you're stuck with me. And Frank will be there!" Alice replied, then smirked. "And who knows? There may be someone interesting over there…"

"Huh?"

"_Boys_, Lily. Boys," Alice laughed and shook her head. "Oh Lils…"

Lily glared at her best friend who chuckled and bent down to check under the computer desk. "Here they are!" she exclaimed, her beige shoes discovered. Sighing, Lily feigned reading her novel, instead staring at the text without absorbing it. It wasn't that she hated parties; she liked going out, but Alice's continuous attempts to match her up with every boy she met became exhausting after a while. And honestly, she wasn't sure about changing schools.

She was going to attend Hogwarts High in the fall, a change from her all-girl Beauxbatons Academy, founded by a French aristocrat, Madame Maxime. She and Alice had been attending the private institution for 5 years, and were supposed to enter their 6th year. But, due to a sudden move for her mum's job, Lily was going to Hogwarts, the public high school in Gryffindale, thirty kilometers from Ravenbourg, where she currently lived. It was going to be hard leaving Alice, and even harder adjusting as a junior.

Sighing, she placed her novel on the side table and stood, entering her closet. "Fine. I'm coming," she announced to her companion.

Shrieking in glee for a moment, Alice grabbed a dress from the chair and rushed to Lily, stuffing it into the girl's arms. "Here! I've already picked out a dress for you!"

"Why am I not surprised..." Lily muttered, audible enough for her to hear.

"You shouldn't be" Alice replied wittily, heading out of the room to change in the bathroom. Lily held the dress in front of her to inspect it. It was pretty nice. She locked the door and changed.

Alice came back in minutes later, sauntering up to the makeup table where Lily already sat, brushing her thick auburn hair. "Oh Lily, that looks so pretty on you!" Alice squealed, a wide grin painted on her face. She took a comb and started to untangle her short brown locks.

Rolling her eyes - but smiling - Lily finished her hair, leaving it down and getting up from the chair. She flung herself back onto her bed, grabbing her book. She had put on a simple dress: a high-low that had straps; it was cream-colored with a floral print. After Alice had finished her light makeup, she picked up her purse and beckoned to her friend, and together, they put on their footwear and left the bedroom.

…

Alice parked her car in the beach parking lot and the two girls exited and walked down to the beach, where a large bonfire was already going, teenagers chatting around it, drinks in hand.

"I can't wait to see Frank!" Alice exclaimed.

"You've been saying that for the past half hour!" Lily giggled, shaking her head at her friend's antics.

Frank was Alice's boyfriend who she had had for a year. They were positively _infatuated_ with each other. Frank was about six feet tall, with light brown hair, dimples, and a lovely smile Alice just adored. He could be the boyish person he was, and he could get serious when needed. Though Frank lived in Gryffindale, they had a strong relationship, and today he had invited Alice and Lily to the town bonfire gathering, where most people there were attending Hogwarts High.

The two approached a tent on the beach near the fire where some people were grilling burgers and chilling. Locating her boyfriend, whose back was turned to the girls while he stood chatting, Alice began to sneakily tip-toe towards the unsuspecting teenager. Lily grinned at Alice's idea and walked slowly towards Frank as well, following and watching her friend. Alice suddenly sprung, wrapping her arms around his torso tightly as she hugged him, squealing.

"WHAT TH-" Frank started, turning his head around rapidly, but he stopped when he saw the grinning girl. Face breaking into a beam, Frank laughed and grabbed Alice, spinning her around a little, and planted a kiss on her rosy lips. "Didn't expect you to do that, Alice!" he exclaimed.

"I'm full of surprises," she replied cheekily. Chuckling, he noticed the smiling redhead and came up to her, hugging her.

"Good to see you, Lily," he greeted warmly.

"Nice seeing you again, too," she replied. He smiled and then pulled her hand as well as Alice's to the interior of the tent.

"Doesn't this place look absolutely _smashing_?" he asked happily. The two girls looked around, noting the grills with their heavy aroma, as well as the group of boys roughhousing in the waters, the gathering of girls roasting marshmallows around the fire, the karaoke machine setup where two boys were making a complete fool of themselves, amused smiles plastered on their faces, and couples enjoying the ocean.

"You guys really outdid yourselves!" Alice complimented. Frank smiled and kissed her again. Lily eyed the two, who were now… _busy_ with each other, and left the snogging pair to explore.

….

"_LEAN ON ME!" _ he yelled into the mic, enjoying his best mate's expression as he cringed at his voice. "_When you're not strong!"_

"_And I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on!" _The spectacled boy to his right continued, still recovering from his friend's "singing".

Before the "talented", handsome teenager could continue, a corpulent boy marched over to the outlet installed in the platform and promptly yanked the plug out of the socket, sighing in relief when the machine turned off.

"_OI_! That was uncalled for!" the screamer cried out in rage. "I was doing pretty brill until you ruined it!"

"It was necessary, as anyone in earshot would lose their hearing," the short boy replied, smirking.

"Fine then! If no one appreciates my spectacular singing talent, I'll leave! But don't come _crying to me_ to sing again when little James over here screws up!" the boy said. He jumped off the small wooden stage and crossed his arms, his face in a haughty expression.

"_No one_ appreciates your "singing" Sirius," James commented, and then smirked, saying "well, no one but those girls over there." Sirius looked at the group and winked, which the girls noticed and proceeded to giggle and smile flirtatiously at him.

Sighing, James looked around the beach, enjoying the view. Sirius didn't even like singing, but it _did _attract birds… That was just Sirius's thinking, being the guy that he was. Shaking his head, he observed the scenery when all of a sudden, his hazel eyes locked onto a figure walking near the stage, wandering around. He studied her. _She's definitely not from here,_ he thought. Then, he started to _really _notice her.

Her auburn hair was long, and framed a pale heart-shaped face. She was chewing at her rosy lip as her emerald eyes flicked around, observing Sirius and the girls with a slight shake of her head. She was… simply breathtaking. He continued to watch the girl, smiling involuntarily at her ambling. Even when his mate returned from flirting, he was still watching her.

Sirius cocked his head to the side, observing him while signaling to Peter, who just shrugged. Sirius looked where he was, and noticed the wandering redhead. Smirking, he decided to frighten her. Sauntering over, ignoring James' sudden protest as he realized his intentions, he came up to her and spoke quietly, "Boo."

Spinning around swiftly, Lily saw a tall raven-haired boy smirking and relaxed.

"Haven't seen you before," Sirius commented.

"Oh! You wouldn't have. I'm Lily," she replied.

"Sirius" he spoke. Glancing back at his best mate, who was eyeing them while running a hand through his already messy black hair, Sirius decided to have a little fun.

Yanking Lily's hand, he pulled her towards the stage and his shocked mate, eyes wide as he glared at him. Chuckling, he escorted (more like pushed) Lily up the three steps, and onto the platform. He signaled to Peter, who understood and turned on the karaoke machine. Grabbing the two microphones and handing one to each nervous teenager, he said slyly "You guys will be thanking me for this." He stepped down and cued for the music to start. Peter turned it up and a tune had started.

_Well then, _Lily thought, _you do always end up in the most awkward of situations.… Nice going. _Ignoring her thoughts, she recognized the tune and glanced over at the tall boy. He was staring at her in shock, his eyes clouded with confusion and… something else. She couldn't quite place it, though. Smiling weakly at her companion, she clasped the microphone tightly, waiting for him to start.

_What the hell had Sirius done?_ James though, panicking. The pretty redhead was _right next to him_, and he had frozen momentarily at the shock of her. Mentally face-palming himself and hoping that he wouldn't mess up, he started to sing.

_Living in my own world, didn't understand._

_That anything can happen, if you take a chance._

Inhaling deeply, Lily summoned her nonexistent courage and sang.

_I never believed in what I couldn't see… I never opened my heart, to all of the possibilities._

Startled, James stared at the girl next to him, shocked. She had such a _gorgeous_ voice, and he fell deeper into some foreign emotion. Sirius stopped his flirting and spun around, watching the redhead with shock and awe. _Didn't know she had in her…. _he thought, and abandoning his conversation with a brunette, he watched her sing and James' shock with humor.

Together, they sang.

_I know…_

_That something has changed_

Lily smiled.

_Never felt this way!_

_And right here tonight,_

_This could be the start of something new! It feels so right, to be here with you, oh!_

James' and Lily's eyes locked as they sang, the world a blurry memory, as they were in their own world.

_And now looking in your eyes,_

_I feel in my heart,_

_The start of something new!_

They sang melodiously. Lily let out a nervous giggle, staring into the boy's hazel eyes, framed by wire spectacles, while he stared into her emerald ones, both in awe. A small crowd had gathered in front of the platform, dancing and cheering for them. As they kept singing, they kept grinning at each other, as James often ran his hand through his hair and Lily blushed. When they finished the duet, the crowd erupted into cheers and shouts, and an especially loud wolf whistle from Sirius as Peter clapped in joy.

Letting out a chuckle, James looked at her and shouted "James!" over the noise.

"Lily!" she replied loudly, a smile just as wide as his painted across her face. They both leapt off the stage, and the crowd congratulated them.

"LILY!" Alice screamed, hugging her suddenly in a tight embrace. "That was _amazing_!"

"Thanks" she replied in joy. Looking around, she tried to locate her singing partner in vain. Deciding to find him after, she embraced an excited Frank and lots of strangers.

"Well, I didn't expect that from you darling," Sirius said laughing. Lily spotted him near her in the mob and came close to him, smiling.

"I don't think I expected that either," she replied. "Where is-"

"Oh, James! A certain redhead is searching for you!" Sirius shouted into the crowd, getting his best mate's attention. As they were taller than most of the teenagers, Sirius could find him immediately, besides the fact that they had known each other for 10 years _and_ it was difficult to miss James' messy head of hair. Whipping around, he saw Sirius' grin and his heart sped up. _Her._ He pushed himself through the already dying crowd and reached the two.

"I'll leave you two, then," Sirius said jovially, and with a wink to James, he strolled away.

Ruffling his hair, James cleared his throat and looked at the redhead, whose hair was a little tousled from the crowd earlier and with her sparkling green eyes. Gulping nervously, he said "So, that was some singing up there."

Laughing, Lily replied "Yeah, I guess so. We did well, didn't we?"

"Yes. We-" James said, a small smile on his face at her words. "I haven't seen you around before."

"You wouldn't have. I'm from Ravenbourg. My friend's boyfriend Frank invited us."

"Oh, so _that's _where the mystery bird is from!" he exclaimed.

Lily stared in confusion. "What?"

"Frank never told us anything about his girl before, just that he _had _one."

"Oh," she said. "And you're from Gryffindale, right?"

"Yep," he confirmed, smiling. "Hey, do you want to-"

Suddenly, a loud crack of lightning shattered the peaceful conversations on the beach and it started to pour.

"_Shit!" _James exclaimed. "Come on!" he said, and grabbed Lily's slender arm, pulling her with him to the tent, where everyone was taking cover. Taking a newspaper on one of the picnic tables, James whacked Sirius' head with the rolled up paper playfully. "I thought you confirmed no rain tonight!"

"I _did!_" Sirius growled back, a thoughtful gleam in his eyes. "The weather channel reported no rain, so I don't know." Turning back to Lily, who was observing the rain and the dead bonfire, James spoke.

"What school do you go to?" he asked, curious.

Turning to face him, she replied "Beauxbatons." He nodded in recognition, and she continued. "I'm actually attending-"

All of a sudden, Alice came up next to Lily. "We should go." Lily looked at her in confusion.

"Why?"

Sighing, Alice answered. "As much as I don't want to leave, we should. It's probably going to keep raining for the rest of the night, so there's no point staying. And it's getting late as well."

Lily nodded in agreement. "You're right." Smiling politely at James, Alice left to wish Frank goodbye.

She was already _leaving_? James was disappointed slightly. He got an idea, and inquired, "Can I have your number?"

Lily looked at him, and with a slight blush that was fortunately concealed by the night, she said "Sure." They exchanged numbers. "So I guess this is goodbye," she stated.

"Yeah," he said, a tinge of sadness in his tone.

Waving, she turned around and ran to the car, where Alice was already waiting, and they left. The whole ride home, Lily pondered. He was certainly something. He could sing. He was nice. He was good-looking. And he was just… _something_.


	2. Head in the Game, Heart in the Song

Disclaimer: I am most DEFINITELY not the brilliant Ms. Rowling, and HP is her masterpiece, while am just a die-hard fan! And High School Musical, as well as the songs, are not mine either!

A/N: Before you get on reading, I'd like to thank anyone who has read this story so far. Your support is much appreciated. Also, a big shout out to my HSM-obsessed friend, definitelynotahufflepuff, for proof-reading and guiding me plot-wise, as she is the HSM expert and I'm the unhealthily addicted Jily shipper and Marauder fan:)

Chapter 2: Head in the Game, Heart in the Song

It had been two whole weeks since the party, and all Lily could think about was the move and James. He was somehow plastered in her mind, an unforgettable memory, an unavoidable thought. Lying on her lilac bedspread, she stared up at the new ceiling, tracing the corners and the edges of it with her almond-shaped eyes. Sighing, she got up and went downstairs, entering the kitchen. Grabbing a snack, she flopped down onto the worn-out couch and flipped the TV channels with one hand on the remote and the other rummaging through the plastic bag, digging for potato crisp goodness.

After a week here in the new house, Lily was still getting used to it. She could remember the move so clearly. Her mum, optimistic as she was, carrying the cardboard boxes in with delight, telling her girls to get a move on in helping her. Petunia, her older sister, groaning in irritation, and after Rose Evans had practically shoved her off her chair, she had assisted. Rose Evans believed in kindness and hard work, but most of all, following one's dreams. Lily recalled her past self, struggling to push a box into the house, while Petunia walked out to get another while smirking in Lily's direction, obviously ignoring Lily's unspoken cry for aid. Sticking her tongue out at the tall blonde in annoyance, Lily had continued to push in vain for two more minutes before finally getting it inside, though how she had managed it was beyond her.

The house was still slightly unfurnished, the normal boxes lying everywhere, but the main furniture had been placed; their progress was remarkable when compared to their many other moves. Rose's company often relocated her, causing the three of them to move frequently. She was Lily's first friend, her source of wisdom and advice. Her only true friend… after what happened with Petunia. Her older sister, with her small inner pit of envy of the smart redheaded beauty, had fueled the distaste. Distaste had morphed to hatred and avoidance. Though Rose tried to unite the two girls as they had been at a younger age, the damage was done. Insults flung, anger built, confusion heavy. It was done. As for her dad, she had few memories, as he had been snatched by the clutches of cancer when she was young.

School was tomorrow, she thought with a bit of sadness. Summer was already over. School was in two days. Two days left to cherish the freedom - two days before a whole new adventure began.

…

"Mum, I don't feel well…" Lily muttered in anxiety. She glanced at her mother in fear.

"You're always nervous when you start a new school Lily-flower. You will do great; you always do," her mum replied with a calm smile, saying "And I made my company promise me to not transfer me again, so all will be well."

A hint of a smile on his face as he heard his companions' conversation, the blue-eyed principal cleared his throat quietly and spoke to the anxious teenager, adjusting his half-moon spectacles.

"Miss Evans, I have reviewed your outstanding transcripts. I am sure your talents will shine very brightly here at Hogwarts High."

"Thank you Mr. Dumbledore" Lily replied, a milligram of nervous energy dissipated.

Sighing, she whispered to her mum, saying softly more to herself "I don't want to be the school's freaky genius girl again…"

Patting her shoulder, Ms. Evans said "Just be Lily." Planting a kiss to her forehead, she thanked Principal Dumbledore again and smiling, she exited the school. Lily sighed quietly. _Here goes nothing…_

"Come Lily. I will direct you to your first period class" Dumbledore said kindly. Smiling weakly at the wise man, she followed him through the red-and-white colored hallways.

…

"Quit it, man!" Sirius protested, nimbly avoiding James' outstretched hand. Grinning, James chased him around the drama classroom, trying to mess up his groomed raven locks while Peter cheered with the rest of the basketball team. "_What team? Lions! What team? Lions!" _Shouting a cry of triumph, James messed up his best mate's hair. "JAMES POTTER!" Sirius yelled in anger. "You little-"

"Oh, shut it, prissy," James answered, and the whole team roared in laughter.

"Here is your classroom Miss Evans" Mr. Dumbledore said. Peeking inside cautiously through the window in the door, she saw a controlled ruckus occurring, as blurs of red-clad boys cheered and girls chattered; a cloud of noise. Glancing back at the principal, he smiled at her confused look at his lack of attempting to end the chaos. "Good luck," Dumbledore wished the redhead, and a thoughtful look in his calm blue eyes, he gracefully turned around and strolled away, not a care in the world.

_Here I go… _Lily thought, and then opened the door, letting the noise explode at full impact in her ears. No one noticed the redhead's appearance as she stepped inside, walking to the back of the classroom while trying to avoid the boys who almost trampled her with their roughhousing.

James, laughing from his success at irritating Sirius, looked around the small classroom. His eyes passed a laughing Peter and a redhead and a-_ wait a moment. It can't be!_ His hazel eyes frantically looked back and locked onto the redheaded girl retreating to the back of the classroom, the rest of the world a trivial blur. But before he could confirm it was actually her, a blonde girl with a gold bow headband in her hair blocked James' vision.

"Hey, James!" she chirped, twisting a lock of her long hair with her finger. "How was your summer?" She beamed a bright smile at him. Focusing back on reality, James looked at the blonde, who wore a fuchsia top and gold pants paired with yellow heels, replying "good," with a bit of frustration. "Now Serena, if you will excus-"

Suddenly, a middle-aged woman strode into the drama classroom, her light green eyes inspecting the room with an aura of authority that one could pick up _just_ by looking at her.

"_Boys!_ Get down from the desks _right now_!" the woman scolded, shaking her head; the boys immediately settled down in their seats, the class now more attentive. Serena smiled at him again, and walked away to her seat in front of a tall, sandy-haired boy with a stylish button-up shirt and a grey flat cap on his head. Sighing, James sat down when a sudden idea struck him. Reaching into his jeans pocket, he took out his phone and dialed Lily's number.

The teacher walked up to Serena and the sandy-haired boy, who were checking their phones. Clearing her throat to catch the attention of the two, she spoke.

"_Ah_, the cell phone beast has returned to our crucible of learning. Serena and Remus, hand over the devices. I will see you two in detention." Sticking out a bucket in front of them, she instructed "in here."

"Yes Miss McGonagall," Serena and Remus spoke. Sighing, they placed their phones into the bucket. "We have _zero _tolerance for cell phones in class so we will able to get to know you in detention." Miss McGonagall said.

Suddenly, a ring went off, and when Lily realized it was hers, she looked at the screen quickly to see the certain person who had contacted her. "James". Why was he contacting her _now_? James looked towards the back of the classroom, he saw Lily struggling to turn off her phone quickly. Grinning, his heart sped up involuntarily. _It WAS her!_

Sticking out a hand towards Lily, Miss McGonagall spoke "Cell phone, Miss Evans. And welcome to Hogwarts High." Handing over her phone reluctantly, Lily placed it in the teacher's hand, who put it into the bucket. Looking towards the front of the classroom, Miss McGonagall headed towards James. "Potter, I see your cell phone is involved as well so we shall see you in detention, too." She took James' phone and put it in with the rest of the devices. Letting out a small audible protest at this, Sirius spoke up.

"That's not a possibility for James, Miss McGonagall. We have practice!"

Focusing her eyes on the teenager, she replied. "Well then, Black. That's 20 minutes of detention for you. Count them."

A girl seated near Sirius snorted audibly, flipping her long black hair backwards. Smirking and muttering more to herself than anyone else, she whispered "That could be hard for Black, since he most likely can't count that high."

Startling the girl out of her thoughts, Miss McGonagall fixed a look at her. Was there a small gleam of amusement in her eyes? It was hard to tell. "Marlene McKinnon, 20 minutes for you too." Ignoring the whine of protest from the outraged teenager, the teacher strode to the front of the classroom, facing the device-less juniors. "So, any questions?"

Peter cleared his throat and spoke up. "How were your holidays, Miss McGonagall?" Sirius and James rolled their eyes as the majority of the class groaned. Suddenly, the school bell rang, and students started to exit the drama classroom.

"See you in detention," Sirius remarked casually to James, then left, glaring at Marlene, who only let out an exasperated sigh and fixed him with a no-nonsense stare. Running out quickly, James tried to calm himself as he leaned against the wall right outside the classroom door, waiting for _her._ He tried for a natural pose; anyone passing would have seen through the failed act. Lily exited the classroom, and James ran up behind her and tapped her shoulder. Whipping around, Lily noticed a very familiar boy… _How was this possible?!_

"James?!" Lily exclaimed in surprise "I don't-"

"Believe it!" James cried.

"Well me neither!" Lily replied in excitement.

Ruffling his hair with his hand, James' mouth became an involuntary grin. "How is this even possible?"

"Well, I moved to Gryffindale for my mum's new job transfer," she explained.

"Oh, okay" he answered.

Spotting a bulletin board, Lily's curiosity took over and she walked over to it, leaving a confused James, who quickly followed her.

Lily's eyes roamed over the bulletin board, taking in the huge title: "DRAMA CLUB", and she noted how no names were on the sign-up sheet yet.

Interrupting her thoughts, James commented "Anyway, welcome to Hogwarts. And now that you've met Miss McGonagall, I bet you would love to sign up for that," he gestured to the empty sign-up sheet.

"Oh, I won't be signing up for anything for a while, as I'm new and trying to get used to the school. However, if you signed up, I would consider coming to the show," Lily said.

"Oh no, I wouldn't sign up," James said in slight panic. _What would his friends think? James Potter, star basketball player of the Hogwarts Lions, singing in a musical?! No… He couldn't. _"It's impossible," he said, concealing his regret.

Suddenly, a blonde appeared, startling the two from their conversation. Smiling, Serena said "Impossible? After last season's _incredible_ performance, I would have a difficult time believing 'impossible' is in your vocabulary!" Noticing the ginger for real for the first time as she was busy with James, she commented "So nice of you to show our new classmate around."

Turning abruptly to face the sign-up sheet, she whipped out a pink pen from nowhere. She signed her name on the sheet, taking up three-fourths of the space. Lily's eyes widened in slight amusement, meeting James' hazel eyes and mouthing 'Obnoxious much?' while James tried to hold in a snort. 'Serena Lupin' had been written in large font, pink ink glistening, with a fancy star over the 'i' in her surname. Looking back at the two, oblivious to their efforts to not start laughing, she inquired "Oh, were you going to sign up as well? Remus and I have starred in _all_ of the school productions, and we gladly welcome newcomers. Many supporting roles are available, and I'm sure we can find _something_ for you."

"Oh no, I'm just looking at all the bulletin boards," Lily replied. Eyeing the 'Serena Lupin', she added "Nice penmanship." Lily smiled at James, and then left, leaving him alone with Serena.

Serena began "So James, I didn't really see you in the summer. How was it?"

James casually said "You know. Basketball, parties... the usual." Lily-filled thoughts entered his brain at the word 'parties' and he tried to focus.

"When's the big game?" she asked.

"Two weeks."

Smiling widely, Serena patted his arm and exclaimed "You're so dedicated. Just like me! Hope you come to the musical. Toodles!" She ended and left.

"Toodles?"

….

Serena walked briskly towards the library, dragging along her brother whom she happened to find along the way.

"What are you doing, Serena?" Remus sighed in exhaustion. "I was busy reading-"

"_We_ have work to do" she replied crisply. They walked past the wooden tables and studying students, reaching the computers. The blonde settled down at one of the computers, and said, "That new girl was eyeing the auditions sign-up sheet with _too _much interest, Remus. I'm going to figure out where she's from."

Promptly, Serena typed in 'Lily Evans' and clicked 'search'. The computer displayed a whole page of results about similar topics.

Her eyes widened. "Look Remus! 'Beauxbatons student leads Decathlon team to regionals'!" She continued to read aloud other titles of articles that all described Lily Evans' academic talent and awards. Smirking slightly, Serena printed one of the articles and grabbed it from the printer.

"Why are you…" Remus began in confusion. Then, a look of revelation struck his intelligent mind. "Oh, I see. You want to get her focus off of theatre by introducing the Decathlon team to her?" he asked.

His sister smirked in confirmation.

"You are devious" he replied. "Why not just leave her be? She seems nice."

Shaking her head, Serena eyed him in exasperation. "I don't want any competition to threaten us. Not as if she _could_ in the first place, but I like making sure we are the best candidates for the part. And in this case, if my plan works," she smiled now, "Lily Evans will be too distracted with extracurriculars that are more suited for her to even audition."

Remus gave her a skeptical look, but kept his thoughts to himself as they exited the library together.

...

James was perched on top of a cardboard tree, stapling leaves onto it, as he watched Ms. McGonagall scold Sirius for not working. He let out a snort; this was the highlight of detention so far, and that was saying something. He was pretty sure Ms. McGonagall had already kept them for more than twenty minutes, but he knew that protesting would surely gain him another hour of this hellish activity.

Meanwhile, Lily distractedly applied paint to a prop meant to be a crescent moon. Already a detention, and it had only been one day. _Way to go, Evans_, she chided herself. Suddenly, her thoughts were abruptly interrupted as a girl came up to her with a smile on her face.

"Lily, I'm glad you're going to join the team!" Marlene said in elation.

"Wh-What?" Lily stuttered. "What are you talking about…"

"Marlene," the girl answered Lily's unspoken request for her name. "I saw the article you submitted, and I'd love for you to become the newest member for Hogwarts' Scholastic Decathlon Team!"

"But I didn't sign-up or send that article in" Lily replied in confusion.

Marlene simply gave her a smile. "Lily, you are so talented. Imagine how great the team would be this year with you in it!" Marlene seemed to have entered a daydream that probably involved a large trophy.

"I'm sorry, Marlene. I don't think I'll be joining clubs anytime soon, as I need to get adjusted here."

"So wonderful that you're joining the team, Lily! Aren't you glad, Marlene?" Serena had suddenly entered their conversation, secretly pleased to see that her plan was working.

"I'd be glad to push you off this stage" Marlene muttered under her breath; Serena didn't seem to have heard her, but Lily smothered her laugh quickly.

"Anyways, great to hear you're fitting in nicely" Serena said to Lily. She gave the redhead a smile and walked away, eager to tell Remus of her plan's success.

"Please think about it" Marlene said to Lily, and returned to her own detention duty. Lily watched her go and sighed, returning to her painting task unwillingly.

….

James was dozing off when he heard a shout. Shaken from sleep, he watched from the top of the cardboard tree as Ms. McGonagall argued with his father, who was also the basketball team's coach. After a while, Ms. McGonagall gave his father a formidable glare, and walked away in indignation.

His father motioned for James and Sirius, and after climbing down the tree and waking Sirius up, they joined their coach and hurried to practice.

...

James hadn't spoken to Lily all day since homeroom period, which dampened his mood a little, as she had deserted him, leaving him with Serena. But then again, he would have done it most likely as well. Shaking his head to rid his Lily-thoughts, he focused on the large gymnasium he was in. A big lion was painted in the center of the polished wooden floor where the Hogwarts basketball team were practicing.

Signaling Sirius' attention by passing him a ball, he said "So, the spring musical. Is it true you get extra credit for just auditioning?" His heart was telling him to audition with Lily, but his head was advising him to stick with basketball. He needed advice from his best friend.

"I don't know, but who cares?" Sirius replied, giving the conversation not much importance.

"Well, it doesn't hurt to get credit, you know? For college?"

Fixing him with a look, Sirius pointed out "Do you think Krum of the Dragons or Jones of the Cannons auditioned for their school musical? No. It's not regular music. It's _show_ music. It's bad, mate." Shuddering, he walked away.

James sighed, then shouted "Alright Lions! Pair up, and let's do this!"

Their practice became an orchestra of sounds; quirky sneaker noises, pounding basketballs, and swooshes of balls being shot into the net.

_Coach said to fake right  
And break left  
Watch out for the pick  
And keep an eye on defense  
Gotta run the give and go  
And take the ball to the hole  
Like an old school pro  
He said, "Don't be afraid"  
What you waitin' on?  
To shoot the outside 'J'_

James jumped and shot a flawless basket. The team was working in full swing.

_Just keep ya head in the game  
Just keep ya head in the game_

_And don't be afraid  
To shoot the outside "J"  
Just keep ya head in the game._

They kept practicing, the Lions in sync - a harmony of goals and passes, dunks and lay-ups. As they kept working, James became more frustrated with Sirius' previous answer.

_Why am I feeling so wrong? _

_My head's in the game, but my heart's in the song!_

_She makes this feel so right._

The boys convinced him to keep going, yet he didn't forget about Lily.

After practice, the boys raced out of the gym, yelling "_What team? LIONS!"_ over and over, a chant of pride. James stood in thought in the middle of the gym, panting and thinking. He shot his basketball into the net and slowly walked out, not joining in the chanting. What to do. What not to do. Too much. All too much.

….

**This chapter is edited as of May 30, 2016, because I did have some plot holes in this chapter. Next chapter may or may not be out soon. It's hard to tell. Thank you!**


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